Don't hold your breath for Resident Evil 5

Zombie-supremo still undergoing engine tuning

We'd known Resident Evil 5 was a fair way off, with developer and publisher Capcom deciding not to show any of the next-gen zombie-blaster at this year's Tokyo Game Show, but a recent interview with the producer of Capcom's Xbox 360 stormer Lost Planet suggests we might be lucky to see it on shelves next year.

Speaking to French gaming website Xbox Gazette, producer Jun Takeuchi explained his game's engine was being shared among several Capcom titles: "Dead Rising, Devil May Cry 4, and maybe Resident Evil 5 will be using the same engine."

That doesn't mean that you can squint at Lost Planet, imagine those are zombies running around under the Mediterranean sun, and know what to expect. Takeuchi clarifies: "As for Resident Evil 5, we do plan to use the same engine but will be making a number of changes - you could say we will be tuning it to run like a GT car."

Don't be too alarmed, though, as even if Resident Evil5 doesn't have an engine yet, its team is likely still elbow-deep in work on it - prototyping its new features before slotting them into what will become the finished game. While we'll still be itching like T-virus victims while they polish it to better-than-Resident Evil 4 standards (is that even possible?), at least we know it'll be worth the wait.